The result of the communication quiz indicated my score of 47. It implies that I am a capable communicator in most of the situations. However, I do face communication problems that affect my ability to communicate with others and understand their perspectives. It is important for a leader to have strong communication and listening skills to respond to others’ concerns and queries. The leader must be able to identify all stakeholders involved and have a clear vision to communicate with them.
The result of the quiz suggests that I am having difficulty with planning with communication and it could create confusion and disparities. The inappropriate use of communication is a common mistake which leaders make that results in goals/objectives not being met. I should try to develop my skills in understanding the situation and responding in the right manner. It is important for a good leader to deliver clear and straightforward messages to avoid misunderstanding and make others support and agree to personal views. However, my lacking in anticipating others perspectives and their response in the form of body language suggest that I am not very confident in addressing any questions and concerns that may be raised during the conversation. I need to focus on developing observation skills as receivers respond to the messages through their body gestures. Moreover, I lack in listening to the views of receivers who may want to add the discussion or raise their concerns. It could be the reason that I prefer to use emails and other written forms of communication. It also implies that I try to deliver consistent messages with as much detail as possible.
Overall, it could be inferred that I still lack certain skills of effective communication and I should learn and practice these skills more frequently to become better communicator and eventually a better leader.
References
Barrett, D. J. (2010). What is leadership communication? Retrieved from https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/csu_content/courses/business/bsl/bsl4040/12d/uniti_chapter1presentation.pdf
MindTools. (2016). How Good Are Your Communication Skills? Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_99.htm
Sefiani, R. (2013, February 18). The principles of leading and communicating change successfully. Retrieved from http://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/222108/marketing/The+principles+of+leading+and+communicating+change+successfully
The Ken Blanchard Companies. (2006). Critical Leadership Skills. Retrieved from http://www.kenblanchard.com/img/pub/pdf_critical_leadership_skills.pdf
